Who says that summer camp is only for kids? There are bunches of summer camps, usually just a weekend long, that are especially made for people age 21+ and one of them in particular just sounds like a whole lot of fun!
Remember all the cool things you used to be able to do at summer camp? Archery. Arts & Crafts. Capture the Flag. Color War. Dodgeball. Friendship Bracelet Weaving. Paddle Boarding. Ping Pong. Relay Races. Slip ‘N Slide. Swimming. Talent Show. Tie Dying. Tug of War. It’s not very often that you get to have all of those available to you anymore. After all, you’d have to be at camp to have all of those at your fingertips, right? Turns out there’s a camp that offers all that, as well as theme parties and open bar. It’s called Camp No Counselors and if you’re age 21 or over, it might be just the thing to bring you back to those hassle-free days (and nights!) of your youth.
Camp No Counselors offers all the fun of a kid’s camp, mixed with all the fun of an adult’s camp. Here’s a typical day at camp:
- 9am-10am Breakfast – they offer a full spread of breakfast foods, along with unlimited mimosas and Bloody Marys. Gluten-free, vegetarian and other options are available on a case-by-case basis.
- 10am-1pm Activities – Choose your own adventure, from archery to zip lining. There are no counselors to tell you what you can’t do, so sign up for as many or as few activities as you’d like.
- 1pm-2pm: Lunch – hog dogs, hamburgers (or turkey or veggie varieties), tacos and, of course, a margarita bar. Again, they offer gluten-free, vegetarian and other options for those with dietary restrictions.
- 2pm-5pm: Activities – Anyone want to slip ‘n slide? Go hiking? It’s all available to you.
- 5pm-6:30pm: Nap/Shower/Relax – this is my kind of camp!
- 6:30pm-7:30pm: Happy Hour – They offer a full selection of beer, wine and liquor, as well as lawn sports, drinking games and music. Bet they didn’t have THAT at Camp Merrimac (which was a real sleep away camp in Contoocook, NH that I went to for a week in the mid-1970s. The buildings are still there, but the property has since been sold).
- 7:30pm-8:30pm: Dinner – BBQ grilled chicken, smoked baby back ribs, flame grilled marinated skirt steak are just some of your options. And, of course, if you have any dietary restrictions they’ll make sure you’re covered with, gluten-free, vegetarian and other options.
- 8:30pm-10pm: Camp Wide Activity – Talent shows, stand up comedy, put on a skit, or just watch…it’s all good 😉
- 10pm: Late Night Open Bar & Theme Party – It might be “Under The Sea” or “Jock Jams” or who knows…but they let you know well ahead of time so you can plan ahead.
They’re open to just about anyone age 21+ but photos and videos would suggest most of their clients are in their 20s and 30s.
Camp No Counselors has available dates in New York (on the northeastern tip of the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania, about a 2 hour drive from Manhattan) and Los Angeles (about 20 minutes from Valencia, 1 hour from Burbank, 1.5 hours from L.A.), with buses available to bring you to/from camp. The cost for each weekend ranges from $500 to $550, depending on date.
Now, here’s the one caveat…
Camp No Counselors got lots of publicity when it started up in 2013 and lots of great reviews on Yelp prior to September 2018. In fact, they kept growing and by 2018, they had camps set up in Chicago, New York, Boston, Austin, Miami, L.A., San Francisco, Canada, Nashville and Michigan.
And then all of a sudden the Canadian camp was canceled, and the Austin one was canceled, with little notice and difficulty (bordering on impossibility) in getting refunds. Rumors abound. Some camps (Camp No Counselors rents out actual kids’ camps for use when kids aren’t there) weren’t paid. Some vendors such as bartenders and security weren’t paid. Camp “non-counselors” weren’t paid. Camp management didn’t tell New York State about the liquor they served and they got in trouble for that. They may or may not have declared bankruptcy.
Anyway, in early March 2019, emails were sent out to former campers that said Camp No Counselors had new owners. The new owners were vendors (who also never got paid) of the original camp, and who have a history of running their own camp. So there’s that.
Here’s to hoping camp No Counselors can rise like a phoenix from the ashes – it sure sounded like fun!
Check our Camp No Counselors’ website for more info.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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